4-6-2016: Day 10, On Our Own in Rhone

On Our Own in the Northern Rhone

Today we relax and just walk the town of Vienne. This is another ancient town but it is small and we can walk from our Hotel. The Hotel is called the Pyramide and is located right next to a tower monument from the days of the Romans. The hotel turns out to another great choice as we are an easy walk to the old town and the staff is wonderful.  It has the most wonderful garden in the center of the hotel and the food is excellent.  

The first day we are on a mission as Jim and Tina have an airport weight problem with all the wine they bought.  The solution may be to mail the wine and other stuff home.  So we find the Post and buy boxes and Jim and Tina go back to the room to pack while Krim and I have a coffee and take in the town.  

Jim and Tina return just as the Post Office gate goes down.  It is lunch time in France and so they close from noon to 1:30.  It is after noon so we find a sidewalk cafe and a glass of wine.  So cool just watching the locals and sipping wine.  The Post Office opens and Jim and Tina give them a pile of cash and off goes the stuff and possibilities for future purchases opens.  We walk to the old town and soon discover "The Girls" would like us to go away and so Jim and I head for the historical sights and they are way cool. We walk up a steep hill looking for the stadium from the Roman times. We find it and walk out to see this place built in 40 A.D.

It is one of the most important and largest Roman Theatres in the ancient world. The Theater was abandoned at the end of the Roman era but it was fun while it lasted. The theater held racers, combats and throwing competitions and could hold 11,000. Abandoned by the emperors and disapproved by the church the theater was forgotten and buried over the years. In 1922 work began to uncover and restore the work. It is amazing to see and most closely resembles a football stadium. Down the road a few blocks is a by golly Roman Temple. One of only two remaining in France the city has created a square around the buildings. How strange to see something that we see in Italy right here in France. This city is a beauty and we stop on the Main Street in a sidewalk cafe to dine. But it is only 6 and it is "Impossible" to have dinner until 7. That is just the way it is so, we have another bottle of wine.  Love this place. It is time for Dinner and it is fairly warm so we try the sidewalk cafe.  What to have?  Frog Legs in France - Gotta have that!  The legs were great but only Clyde was game.  

Tomorrow we fly, and we fly to Bordeaux!